Pipe-line tool



Nov.A 25, 1941. I w. G. HELTzEL TAL 2,253,774

` PIPE-LINE TOOL I Filed Jan. 27, 1959 42 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 25, 1941.

W. G. HELTZEL ETAL v PIPE-LINE: TooL Filed Jan. 27, 1939 2 sneek-sheet 2 William Gilliam Heltzelll and ifirtliurl' iifiiiler iiiiiii, Tulsa, Ghia., assignors to Stanolind liipe illine Company, Tulsa, mila., a corporation of ine implication .llanuary 2'?, 1939, Serial No. 253,160

2 illaims.

This invention relates to pipe line scrapers and other pipe line tools.

it is an object of our invention to provide pipe line tools and particularly pipe line Scrapers which can be used with increased speed and emciency and Whichwill do an improved job of removing deposits from the interior of a pipe line.

Figure 3 is a top\ plan view of a modified cupped rubber disc; v

Figure 4 is a sectional elevation taken along the line 1 4 `of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 shows a pipe Aline` lil containing a pipe line scraper which can also be used as a displacement tool. f This tool is conventionall except for the cupped rubber discs il (of the type shown in Figures 3 and 4), the-grommetpipes i3 andthe parts immediately associated with these discsv and grommet pipes.

The tool has a nose il@ at its forward end which I is followed by a shaft or headpiece 2l on which Figure 5 is a planxyiew., partly in section, of a A pipe line containing a pipeline scraper equipped with two cupped rubber discs ofthe type shown in Figures 3 and 4. l

Turning now to the drawings in' more detail, it Will be seen that a cupped rubber disc II is provided with a. central opening I2 which can be of any desired size and is forthe purpose of mounting the disc on the central shaft of a pipe line tool. The outer vdiameter of the disc is slightly larger, preferably about 13s inch larger, than the inner diameter of the pipe linev on which it is to be used. 'I'he inner diameter of the pipe line in which the scraper is to be used is preferably .about equal to the diameter of the disc between the points I3 on the outer surface of th disc located opposite the main body ofy the disc or, in other words, opposite the horizontal body portion M as shown in Figures 2 and 4.

are mounted two sets ci guide arms 22 carrying toothed wheels 23, there being four guide arms and toothed wheels in each set. Each guide arm is urged outwardly by 'a spring (not shown)A op-` erating on the inner end of thev arm. The two sets of guide arms and toothed wheels are arranged 45 out of line with each other. The main purpose of the toothed wheels 23 is to pro'- vide a guide to preventthe main body of the vtocl from rotating freely within the pipe line I8.

Back of the portion carrying the toothed wheels Ais an enlarged hub 2l carrying a large number, for instance eight, scrapers 25 to remove deposits from the interior of the. pipe line. These Scrapers are also outwardly urged by springs not shown. Back of the scraper portion of the device is a flexible joint 26 and back of it is a spider 21 on which is mounted al driver head disc 28 for the front cupped rubber disc II. This driver head disc 28 is equipped with four holes for the reception of grommet pipes I9. The front' cupped rubber disc I I is held between driver head disc 28 and arear driverhead disc 29 and is l mounted on shaft 2| with'the aid of disc bushing 30. 'I'hese elements are held in place by means yof sub stud 3|. In back of jsub stud 3|. is a rear y, guide arm head piece 32 on which is mounted a set of four rear guide arms 22 carrying toothed From this point the disc is cupped downwardly and outwardly so that a flaring skirt I5 -is provided, the outer surface of which will bear tighty against the inside of the pipe line.

It will also be noted, as shown in Figures 2 and 4., that the lower inner portion I6 ofthe skirt of the disc is feathered to provide increased ilexibility so that the dilerential'pressure back of the disc (below it as shown in Figures 2 and 4) will wheels 23 similar to those on the front of the scraper. y

To the rear of this toothed wheel member a driver head and sleeve 33 is mounted on the rear guide arm head piece 32 and cooperates with driver head disc 34 which, like driver head discs 23 and 29,Ais equipped with four holes for the passage of grommet pipes I9. Between this driver head disc '34 and a rear driver headdisc 35, tapped to receive the threaded ends of'grommet pipes ls, amounted the rear cupped rubber disc II which is mounted -on head piece 32 by means of a disc bushing 3l. heads associated with the rear rubber disc are held .in place by nut 36 and lock nut 31.

Through the various driver heads and cupped rubber discs pass grommet pipes I3 which 'are outwardly directed at their front ends after The two driver passing through front rubber disc Il. These grommet pipes are arranged so that each one passes between two of the rear set of guide arms 22 carrying toothed wheels 23.

The purpose of the grommet pipes is to allow4 a limited amount of oil (or other pumping iluid) to by-pass from behind the scraper to the space in front o'f it and thereby ush out accumulations of wax and other solids scraped from the inside wall of the pipe I8 by the scraper knives 25 in passing through the line. Such accumulations, if not properly mixed with the oil stream, sometimes pack solid in front of the scraper and plug the line. I'

In traveling through the pipe line, the pressure ahead of the scraper isylower than that beh it by an amount equal to the pressure requir/ed to propel the scraper (for instance between 20 and 30 pounds per square inch). The pressure present between the discs is midway between the pressures ahead and behind the scraper. 'I'hese pressure differentials make it possible for oil to flow through the grommet pipes in the discs with considerable velocity.

, Formerly individually bushed holes were placed in each disc without connecting tubes to carry the small streams of oil directly through the space between the discs. Consequently, the velocity of the jets of oil through the holes in the rear disc was lost in entering the large space between the discs. As a result the velocity of the jets coming through the holes in the front disc wasmuch less than could reasonably be expected from the pressure differential around the scraper.

In the improved installation, shown in Figure 5, inch grommet pipes I9 carry the small streams directly from the rear to the front of the two discs, and the full pressure diierential is util/ized in increasing the velocity o'f the jets of oil. Thus a more ecient action is obtained for stirring up and flushing out accumulations of parafln and other impurities which would otherwise plug the pipe line and stop the passage of the scraper. Y

The type of pipe line scraper shown in Figure 5 is a modied Northrup type but it will be apparent that the cupped rubber discs and grommet pipes of our invention can readily be used in connection with other types of Scrapers and other pipe line tools. In general the appended claims are to be construed as broadly as the prior art will permit.

We claim: l

1. In a pipe line tool, two spaced propulsive discs and a plurality of grommet pipes passing through said discs and e `tending from the rear discfto the front disc,whereby flushing of deposits accumulating ahead of said discs is accomplished.

V2. In a pipe line tool, two spaced propulsive discs and a plurality of grommet pipes passing through said discs and extending from the rear disc to the front disc, said pipes being outwardly directed at the front end, whereby ushing of deposits accumulating ahead of said discs is accomplished.

WILLIAM GILLUM HELTZEL. ARTHUR MlLLER I-HLL. 

